Immortalized Zappologies

Thirty-one years ago today (8/11/74), Frank Zappa brought his Mothers of Invention to Golden Hall for a show immortalized on the bootleg LP Golden Debris. The audience was let in while the band performed a soundcheck with faulty equipment. Zappa apologized for the poor sound twice during "Uncle Meat," "Pygmy Twylyte," "Cosmik Debris," and "Help, I'm a Rock" before concluding, "That seems to be as good as it gets." Opening act Tom Waits then took the stage with his piano.

Waits (a local resident from 1959 until 1971) performed "San Diego Serenade" along with a few other songs and an extended monologue -- boos were heard, and one audience member yelled, "Somebody shoot that fucker." Waits showed up onstage again during Zappa's set, telling his "12-inch man" joke.